In some countries around the world, women far outnumber men, creating an imbalanced population. Every country is unique and discovering the countries with the highest female to male populations provides interesting information and insight into each of the countries. Many factors will influence the gender balance of a population such as traditional gender roles, health issues, the cost of living and childbirth rates. This article will explore those topics and more in order to explain the current ranking of countries with the highest female to male populations.
Lists of Countries Where Women Far Outnumber Men
- Lithuania
In Lithuania, the gender divide is the largest of all the countries in Europe. Statistics collected in 2016 showed that the female to male population ratio of Lithuania was 53.8 percent to 46.2 percent, with Lithuanian women outnumbering men by approximately 314,999 individuals.
- Latvia
Latvia is analyzed in the list of countries where women far outnumber men due to a gender-imbalance that favors women since the country meets the gender gap criteria. The female population in Latvia is 51.7 percent while, according to UN data from 2013, the male population is 48.2 percent.
- Russian Federation
In 2013, Russian women outnumbered the men by over 11.2 million people. Women, in the country, represented 51.5 percent of the population while men comprised 48.5 percent of Russians.
- Estonia
According to 2011 statistics, Estonia was among the countries on the list of gender-imbalanced nations. The female population outnumbered the male population by more than 33,000 people with women representing 51.5 percent and men making up 48.5 percent of Estonians.
- Ukraine
In 2013, the statistics from the United Nations showed a female population of 53.3 percent and male population of 46.7 percent. It’s believed that women outnumber men in Ukraine by nearly 2.4 million people.
- Bulgaria
Gender statistics show that, in 2013, women had a population of 51.5 percent while the male population was 48.5 percent. This created a gender gap of around 600,000 people with women far outnumbering men.
- Moldova
In 2013, the population of Moldova consisted of 53.2 percent women and 46.8 percent men. This resulted in a gender gap of approximately 313,000 people with women far outnumbering men.
Women Living Longer than Men
A key contributor to women’s greater numbers over men can be explained by the fact that on average, women live longer than men globally. As of 2019, the United Nations reported that the average life expectancy for a woman exceeded the male average by five years. This longer life expectancy is true for most developed nations.
In the United States, women’s life expectancy is 81.1, whereas men’s life expectancy is 76.7 years, a difference of 4.6 years.
This longer lifespan has significant consequences for population gender balance as it means that in countries where the male death rate is high, women will far outnumber men.
Traditional Gender Roles
In many countries, strong traditional gender roles still influence attitudes and behavior. Women are more likely to take on roles as homemakers and child caregivers, while men take on roles as the family wage earners, typically working in more hazardous jobs, thus decreasing life expectancy.
The unequal access to healthcare is also a factor as what are perceived to be “male illnesses” such as cardiovascular diseases are not given the same level of priority as preventative healthcare for women.
Figures from the World Health Organization (WHO) show the burden of cardiovascular disease is higher in men than in women in every region of the world. Globally, 29 percent of premature deaths in men can be attributed to cardiovascular disease compared with 20 percent in women.
Cost of Living
In many countries, women are known to outlive men due to traditional gender roles as discussed above, but in some countries, men are leaving for economic reasons.
In Eastern Europe, education and housing premiums are decreasing and the right to work in the West is increasingly attractive to men. There is a higher average salary in Western countries which encourages men to leave the country to seek more prosperous economies.
The cost of living is also an issue that contributes to the gender imbalance. In Europe, in particular, the cost of living is rising, creating a situation where young men cannot afford to move out of the family home and start their own lives. They often cannot afford to marry and start a family.
Childbirth Rates
The global average birth rate is in decline and this could play a role in the gender imbalance in some countries.
Statistics from the World Bank show that countries with the highest daily birth rates are in the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, for instance. Europe has one of the lowest daily births rates of any major continent and this could be a factor behind the gender imbalance in many countries.
In countries such as Russia and Bulgaria, women are having fewer children, which could explain why women are starting to outnumber men in those countries.
The gender imbalance in many countries around the world is of great concern as it has far-reaching implications for all aspects of life. This article has examined the countries where women far outnumber men, with the populations in Lithuania, Latvia, the Russian Federation, Estonia, Ukraine, Bulgaria, and Moldova in particular highlighted.
The causes of the gender imbalance have been explored such as the longer life expectancies enjoyed by women, the traditional gender roles female’s take on, the cost of living and the decline in childbirth rates. Each of these topics poses interesting questions and it’s clear that further research into each country is necessary to understand the full picture. In the meantime, it’s important to recognize that gender imbalance is an important issue for countries all around the world.
